Working It Out
by quokka
Summary: Tony and Ziva wake up on a beach after a week-long stakeout with McGee in a beach house.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: For some bizarre reason I thought I could write this prompt fill without things getting smutty...

However, the first chapter isn't smutty, it does have some UST, though, but I split the story so it can be read as a silly one shot if you like. I will increase the rating when I post the second chapter.

The second, longer chapter will be mostly smut, but I'm still trying to smooth out the kinks (not _those_ kind of kinks). I wasn't planning on splitting the story in two chapters, but I'm once again stuck in a rewriting loop when it comes to the second part, so if I post the first half, I'll feel guilty if I don't post the second half as well. Three cheers for my self-guilt-tripping skills.

* * *

Waves crashing against the rocky shore woke Ziva from a fitful sleep. The ordinarily relaxing sound couldn't compete with the jackhammer in her head. Bright sunlight penetrated her closed eyelids and made the headache even worse. Barely awake, and definitely hung over, she lifted a hand to her head.

When her fingers finally touched her forehead, and a second hand smacked her in the face, her eyes flew open despite the throbbing in her head. She sat up quickly and looked around for any signs of danger. As the beach and ocean stopped spinning all around her, she noticed the area was deserted, apart from Tony lying next to her.

Reassured they weren't in any imminent danger, Ziva inhaled deeply, the salty air barely lifting the clouds in her head, and focused on her partner. He was sprawled out on his back, wearing nothing but swim shorts and a few patches of sand that stuck to his skin. Her gaze drifted over his tanned body. His new workout routine was really paying off. When the hem of his shorts came into focus a nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her somebody had slapped her in the face.

Raising her right arm once more, Ziva gasped. She pulled her arm forwards and the brusque movement woke up Tony. His eyes opened to slits as he smacked his lips and looked at her.

"You handcuffed us together?" Her hangover was all but forgotten as she dangled her right hand, and his left, in front of his face.

He raised himself on his elbows, pulling her arm in the process, and looked at her slightly dazed.

"Why would I do that?"

She ground her teeth. "Because you are always playing pranks on me and McGee."

"I always make sure I'm out of arm's reach when I prank you. Why would I make it easier on you to kill me?" Tony yawned and scratched his chin.

Ziva looked towards the ocean. He was right; her accusation didn't make much sense. When her anger subsided a little and she turned her attention to Tony again, a yellow sticky note on his forehead caught her eye. He plopped back down, unaware, whining about too much booze and old age. She reached over to take the note with her right hand, just so he would smack himself in the face with his own hand, the way he had slapped her in the face. Sure, he had been unconscious at the time, but she was feeling hung over and extremely petty about the whole situation. Tony made a face, but cocked an eyebrow at the note she was now holding.

"I'll kill him!"

"You know, as a law enforcement officer you should know better than to blurt out something like that. Somebody always ends up dead."

Ziva held up the note for him to read.

 _This is until you work out your sexual tension - McGee_

"I'll help you hide the body," Tony said with a scowl.

Ziva moved to get up, leaving Tony little choice but to go with her. She scoffed, "Sexual tension."

She was about to swipe the sand from her back when she caught Tony grinning at her with hooded eyes, and realized where the motion would place his left hand. She raised an eyebrow.

"What? I'll let you brush the sand from my ass." His wink made her temperature rise, and not in a good way.

"You are proving McGee right!"

"Come on. It's not like we're doing body shots or anything."

He laughed, but Ziva had a sinking feeling in her stomach. And when she saw Tony's eyes go wide as saucers, visions from last night flooded her brain.

Licking his neck. His tongue and lips on her stomach. His eyes dark as storm clouds when he took the lime wedge from her mouth and their lips touched accidentally. Maybe that hadn't really been accidental.

She vaguely remembered McGee complaining at one point. The visual memories flooding her brain, combined with the hangover, were making thinking more difficult than it should be.

Tony's gaze drifted down to her stomach, and she hoped all the tanning from the past week hid the blush she felt crawling up her chest and face. She turned towards the beach house they'd been staying at and swallowed hard.

"We should go back. Get these cuffs off."

She'd rather not be physically attached to him when he looked at her like that. It could lead to . . . mistakes. Something he might regret. Something she might regret. Maybe. Mistakes that could ruin their friendship.

"After we strangle McGee with them," Tony said.

She let out a laugh and turned back to him with a smile. He always knew how to break the tension. Except for this past week. This past week he had done nothing but create tension.

Honestly, McGee's note wasn't that far off. The tension between her and Tony had risen exponentially ever since she walked out of the house in a bikini seven days ago. She had seen the hungry look Tony had given her. She had also seen that look turn to anger and possessiveness every time another man, and a handful of women, had given her the same look. At one point he had even head slapped McGee when his gaze had apparently lingered a bit too long for Tony's liking.

They entered the house through the sliding doors that opened onto the beach. McGee looked up from where he was sitting at the table, squinting into the sunlight to see them, a glass of orange juice and a box of Advil in front of him.

"Hey guys," he said quietly.

He'd always been a lightweight when it came to drinking. By the looks of it, his hangover was at least as bad hers.

McGee's head shot up and he stared at them for a moment, then at their hands, and ran towards the front door faster than she had expected. Maybe he wasn't that hung over after all. Or maybe the fear of retaliation outweighed the physical discomfort caused by too much alcohol.

"Well," Tony said after a few moments of staring at the front door, "he won't be back any time soon."


	2. Chapter 2

Recap (because I split the story kinda awkwardly so the first chapter could stand alone for those who don't like smut): T&Z wake up hung over on the beach, handcuffed together courtesy of McGee - to work out their sexual tension - when they walk into the beach house, an equally hung over McGee realizes what he did and bolts. (Man, that sounds so boring...I hope it wasn't)

* * *

Ziva looked up at Tony, then at the painkillers on the table. She hated getting this hung over; it slowed down her reflexes and her mind.

"Let's just," she heaved a sigh and vaguely pointed in the direction of the table, "take some painkillers and get out of these cuffs."

"Painkillers sound good."

It took a second for her mind to catch up. "And the cuffs?"

He looked down at her with a mischievous grin. "I don't mind sharing a shower."

She swatted his stomach with the back of her hand, then pulled back as if she had been burned. His abs didn't merely look more prominent, touching them, even for a second, made her want to run her hands over them again and again.

"That is the kind of talk that got us into this mess in the first place," Ziva said, trying to stop the sudden heat from rising in her body.

"Hardly," he said and swallowed a painkiller.

She looked at him in confusion.

"We did body shots, Ziva."

"We were drunk," she said and accepted the Advil he offered her. She thought there was a flash of disappointment in his eyes. Probably just her hung over brain playing tricks on her.

He unlocked the cuffs, leaned in close and said, "It's not like we were doing body shots with McGee, now were we." He walked towards the couch not waiting for a reaction and plopped down on it. "You can shower first."

Ziva was struggling to process his words. It took her a full minute to convince her body to move towards the bathroom. Maybe a shower would clear her head a bit, before the painkiller kicked in.

After a shower and a light breakfast, Ziva caught up on some reading while Tony took his turn in the bathroom. She was immersed in the book when she heard his bare feet pad towards the couch, and she glanced in his direction. Clean-shaven and wearing nothing but a towel.

With steely determination she focused on the black letters in front of her again. The determination only lasted until the couch cushion next to her dipped slightly. She flashed him a weak smile, but the way some of his hair stood on end kept her from actually getting back to reading.

Within seconds she turned to him and said, "There's a . . . your hair, it's . . ."

She gestured with her hand hoping to get the point across. If this had happened any other time she simply would've reached out and smoothed it down herself. Somehow that felt like a bad idea now.

Tony patted the top of his head a few times, missing the uncooperative patch of hair every single time.

"You fix it then," he said at her eye roll, and she momentarily froze.

Why was she being so awkward? Her gaze drifted from his eyes, to his lips, to the spot on his neck she remembered licking last night.

She snapped out of it and smoothed his towel-dried hair. Unfortunately, her mind no longer seemed in control of her body and her hand lingered, threading fingers through soft, short hair. When she finally dragged her attention away from what her treacherous hand was doing, and looked him in the eye, her mouth went dry.

Somehow, the hungry looks he'd been giving her all week had escalated into something even more intense. A look she had never seen before. His gaze drifted to her lips and back. Her fingers never stopped playing with his hair.

Tony gently tucked a stray curl behind her ear and threaded his fingers in her tresses. "I think your hair is just the slightest bit lighter from being in the sun all week."

Ziva licked her lips, and her gaze slid down to his mouth again, staying there too long for common decency. His body was radiating heat and tension, drawing her to him like a magnet. When she locked eyes with him, the intensity was still there, now mingled with a questioning look.

As soon as she slid her hand to the back of his head, pulling him towards her, she could feel him cradle her head in return. He didn't hesitate when their mouths crashed together, teeth clicking, lips bruising, and it made her forget the lingering hangover.

The smell of his freshly applied aftershave hit her as she inhaled deeply through her nose, unwilling to break the kiss, and warmth spread throughout her body. The scent reminded her of all the times they had stood too close in the bullpen, all the times he had leaned over her shoulder, their cheeks almost touching, and every single time he had been there for her, even when she had pushed him away.

Heat rushed down her spine as his hand moved down her back and settled low, just above her bikini bottoms. Tony pulled her with him, on top of him, as he leaned back on the couch.

Ziva angled her head slightly to deepen the kiss, and ran her hand through his hair as he moaned into her mouth. His hair would be even more tousled now than a minute ago. Laughter bubbled inside her at the thought. It hitched in her throat when his warm, large hand cupped her ass and pulled her closer to him.

Up until then, she had been too consumed by his lips and tongue and smell. Now she was aware of all of him. And there was a lot to be aware of underneath the soft, yet thin towel.

His lips drifted down her jawline and her hips rolled against him. Her skin tightened feeling him twitch. Was that the crashing of waves she heard or just the sound of blood rushing in her ears?

She felt hot and impatient, and when she drew back slightly to look him in the eye, she saw her own desire reflected back at her, before his lips continued their exploration.

"Condom," she said on a breath when he lightly tugged her earlobe with his teeth and heat settled low in her belly.

Tony pulled his head back, squeezing her butt. He looked slightly dazed, as if he couldn't believe they were actually going to go there. Neither could she, but she pushed herself off of him, all the same, instantly regretting leaving the scorching hot cocoon they had created.

"I have some in my bedroom," she said and her voice sounded too husky even to her own ears.

She didn't wait for his reaction, but by the time she reached the bedroom door she heard his bare feet following her on the tile floor.

"A full pack?" Tony said with slight amusement, closing the door behind him.

"I like to be prepared. You never know what might happen," she said looking over her shoulder.

"A condom in your wallet is being prepared, Ziva. A 12-pack, that's," he let out a chuckle, "some pretty high expectations."

She briefly met his gaze again before opening the pack. "Condoms can have more than one purpose."

He balked and her fingers stilled.

"Where'd you learn that? Condom 411 at Mossad?"

For a moment, she couldn't breathe and her whole body stiffened. And then it hit her; this was a bad idea. A very bad idea. One that could cause nothing but problems and pain. There was a reason they had never crossed this line.

"Ziva?"

The laughter had left his voice completely and was replaced with concern. She dropped the condoms on the nightstand. When she heard him move closer, she turned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"This is a mistake," she said not looking at him—it was hard enough keeping her voice steady without meeting his questioning gaze. From the corner of her eye she could see his brows knit.

"It was just a joke. I didn't mean anything by it." His voice was so soft and pleading; she couldn't help but look him in the eye, after all.

Ziva shook her head and opened her mouth not sure what to say. So she settled for a small shrug, not sure how to explain the emotions running through her. He moved to take a step closer, but immediately stopped when she took a step back. The flicker of hurt on his face was like a stab to the heart.

"I would never hurt you," he said, his eyes begging her to believe him.

"I know," she said immediately, resisting the urge to walk up to him and touch him. Comfort him. She needed distance to keep her resolve. And he deserved a reason for her sudden change of heart.

"This," she said, waving a hand between them, trying to think of a way to explain. She inhaled deeply through her nose and bit her bottom lip. "The last time I had a coworkers with benefits thing," she said and struggled to keep eye contact, "you almost died. McGee almost died."

"So did you," he said in a tight voice.

"That is not the point!"

Ziva closed her eyes for a moment, reeling in her emotions. "It is more than that, I," she said and looked away, shoulders slumping. "I cannot be coworkers . . . friends with benefits with you."

"Good. That's not what I want."

Her eyes locked with his hearing the determination in his voice. He took a tentative step closer, she remained still. Confused. Unsure of how to proceed.

"Rule 12 is there for a reason," she said eventually.

"Rule 12 is there because Gibbs got his heart and ego crushed."

He had a point, but the rule still seemed to have some merit. Didn't it?

Tony took another step closer, then sat down on the bed. "I don't want to live with regrets," he said and looked up at her, face wide open. "I would regret," he took a deep breath, then let it out, "not giving us a chance."

Suddenly the air in the small bedroom felt too stuffy. She crossed her arms over her chest once more, trying to hide the trembling in her hands. She bit back laughter; after facing some of the worst things life could throw at her, Tony opening his heart to her was making her tremble.

He broke eye contact and looked down at his hands. She saw him clench his jaw and knew he had gotten the wrong impression.

Not trusting her voice, she closed the distance between them and came to a halt between his knees. His head lifted, eyes wide and hopeful.

She ran a hand through his hair. "Your hair is standing on end again."

His brow furrowed the slightest before her hand slid down to his cheek and she leaned down to kiss him gently. A shudder ran through her body when his hands found her hips and she ran her tongue over his bottom lip. He eagerly opened his mouth and deepened the kiss, a hand slipping under the loose shirt she had thrown on after the shower.

Ziva broke the kiss and removed the shirt. His eyes drifted over her chest as his hands followed suit over her back. It wasn't the first time he had seen her in this particular bikini. It was the one she had worn on their first day here. The day he had started acting more and more like a jealous boyfriend instead of coworker. Instead of even a best friend.

Tony pulled her closer, her shins hitting the side of the bed, nimble fingers tugged at the strings of her bikini top. When the tiny piece of fabric slid from her body, his pupils dilated and he let out a soft groan. He licked his lips and Ziva couldn't help but mimic the gesture when his gaze drifted upwards and he looked at her with the same hunger from earlier.

Heat pooled low in her belly and she clenched at the anticipation, the promise of what was to come, so evident in his eyes. Her hands drifted to his shoulders, both from a need to touch him, and to steady herself as the fingertips of his right hand teased their way down her back.

"No regrets?" he asked.

Ziva ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. "No regrets."

A wolfish grin appeared on his face as he cupped her ass with one hand and pulled her to him with his other arm. He planted sloppy kisses all over her midriff, his wet tongue and lips inching higher and higher. When he reached the curve of her breast he looked at her with hooded eyes. She lightly tugged at his hair and he ran his tongue slowly up to her nipple.

Her breathing quickened and her fingers scratched at his scalp and dug into his shoulder, begging for more. He flicked her nipple once with his tongue before closing his mouth over her breast and she gasped. While his lips and tongue moved from one breast to the other, his left arm wrapped around her waist, and she rubbed her thighs together, desperate for some friction.

Heat radiated of his body, setting her own skin on fire. She threw her head back, mouth agape, and looked up at the moving blades of the ceiling fan, not up to the task of cooling off their combined heat. Lost in the soft feel of his hair and the occasional scraping of his teeth on her sensitive nipples, soothed by his warm, wet tongue, she wanted to stay in this blissful bubble forever.

Her head slammed forward when his hand slid between her legs. He was staring up at her, his mouth still making jolts of electricity shoot through her body. The keening sound left her lips without her permission and she clenched her thighs around his hand, arching her body closer to him. Needing more.

He slid his hand back and forth, eliciting another gasp. She pulled his face closer to her chest and dropped her forehead on top of his head. The smell of his shampoo and aftershave reminding her this was real. He was real.

"More," she panted and pushed down against his hand.

Tony groaned, mouth still closed around her breast, and his fingers went to work on the strings of her bikini bottoms on either side of her hips. Lust had replaced the finesse with which he had discarded of her top, and his fingers fumbled so much, he had to pull his head back to see what he was doing. Impatient, Ziva swatted his hands away, and pulled the fabric away from her body in less than two seconds.

Tony dragged a finger lightly between her folds and grunted how wet she was, making her head spin. He slipped a finger inside her, stroked once, twice, then added another finger, and set up a pace that made her legs tremble and her skin prickle.

Tension coiled inside her as she rode his hand and raked hers through his hair and across the nape of his neck.

Without warning, Tony wrapped his arm around her tight enough to lift her and twisted his body, landing them both diagonally on the king-size bed, his fingers still inside her. Her sharp inhale turned into a low moan when he sucked on her neck and wrapped his left hand into her hair. She should tell him to stop; there would be a mark and she really couldn't justify wearing a scarf in this weather. But it felt so good she arched her neck to give him more access instead.

The thin towel he had been wearing had opened with the movement, and now he was hot and hard against her thigh. Her hips jerked against his hands, and suddenly his fingers working their magic weren't enough anymore. She needed more. She needed all of him.

Her hand shot out towards the nightstand just when his mouth found hers again, distracting her from her goal. He sucked on her tongue as his fingers curled inside her and she keened, arching off the mattress.

He chuckled softly against the side of her mouth. Her desire to one-up him grabbed hold of her and her hand grabbed hold of his cock lightly, teasingly. He gasped against her cheek, and she looked at him with a coy smile, before running a finger from the base to the top and slicking the palm of her hand with the fluid there, then working her way down. A low, guttural sound left his lips and she chuckled.

Tony reached out to the nightstand awkwardly. "Good thing you like being prepared," he husked. "That one condom in my wallet really wouldn't have cut it today."

Ziva raised an eyebrow and twisted her hand in a way that made him buck into it.

"Ambitious," she purred next to his ear, happy she wasn't the only one on the verge of losing control completely.

He kissed her hard and slipped his fingers from between her folds. She moaned into his mouth in protest. The loss was quickly forgotten when he shifted his body on top of hers, between her legs. His hand slid up, leaving a slick trail of her wetness and goose bumps in its wake. Loving his weight on top of her, she wrapped an arm around his back, holding him close. She shivered in anticipation and inhaled deeply, the scent of them mingling with the sea breeze coming through the cracked window.

Her gaze drifted to his and her skin felt too tight underneath the intensity of his stare. Feeling him teasing her entrance, she opened her legs wider and shifted her hips, making the tip slip inside her. She licked, then bit her bottom lip and something shifted behind the darkness in his eyes. He kissed her hard, forcing his tongue into her mouth while moving his hips and sliding inside her. Filling her.

His head dropped in the crook of her neck. She felt his shuddery breath fan out over her shoulder as every muscle in his body seemed to tense. Eight years of foreplay was a long wait, and she couldn't care less if this was over in thirty seconds. As long as he did something. She was close, so close.

Ziva ran her fingers through the short hairs at the nape of his neck and clenched around him.

His head shot up and he said, "Dammit, Ziva, you're not helping."

She lifted her head off the pillow and nipped his lower lip. "I thought this was the whole point of having sex?"

He laughed, a throaty laugh she had never heard before. One she hoped to hear again in the not too distant future. He raised himself onto his elbow and tangled his fingers in her hair, leaning down to kiss her deeply.

As his lips and tongue trailed down her neck, their hips picked up a rhythm that made her crave more of him. She bent her knees and the new angle convinced her this really wouldn't take more than half a minute.

And when he kissed her at just the right spot behind her ear, she tightened and shuddered as waves of pleasure crashed over her like the ocean crashed against the shore outside.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard him groan her name, his breath on her neck.

It took her a few moments to open her eyes and focus on his face, now hovering inches above hers. She ran her hands over his back, slick with sweat, muscles relaxed as his body covered hers like a blanket. His heartbeat pounding in his chest close to hers, as if they were one.

"You lied about your reputation," she said breathily with a smile.

Tony chuckled. "This was just the warm up. By the end of the day that pack," he nodded in the direction of the nightstand, "is going to be at least half empty."

"Really?" She looked at him with a smug smile. "Are you that confident in yourself, or do you intend to fill them with water and throw them at McGee as punishment?"

"Punishment?" Tony licked her neck all the way up to that spot behind her ear that made fireworks go off mere moments ago. He looked her in the eye and stroked a curl from her forehead. "I have every intention of buying him an all-inclusive tropical vacation after what just happened."

Warmth spread throughout her body and she kissed him slowly.

She pecked him on the lips, breaking the kiss, and said, "Wouldn't you rather spend money on a tropical vacation with me?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Good point, I'll get him a video game instead."

Several hours—and condoms—later, the alarm on Ziva's phone went off, signaling it was time to start packing. McGee had yet to show his face and was undoubtedly postponing his return until the last possible moment.

"We could always miss our flight," Tony said, pulling her back to him when she was about to get up.

"Blame it on McGee," she said pensively, running her fingernails over his back.

"He started this, it wouldn't even be a lie," he murmured before reaching a hand towards the nightstand once more.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the feedback on my stories. It's good to know the Tiva fandom hasn't gone completely extinct.


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